Early code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, such as IS-95 networks, carried only a very small amount of data traffic. However, third generation wireless networks, such as IS-2000 (also called CDMA2000), are designed to carry much heavier loads of data traffic. IS-2000 networks are capable of efficiently providing both high-speed data services and voice traffic. Still other networks, such as 1xEV-DO networks, are primarily data systems. These types of networks, if used for both voice and data, typically carry voice on an adjacent channel to data traffic. However, IS-2000 networks (i.e., Release C of CDMA2000) carry voice and data on the same carrier.
BCMCS (Broadcast Multicast Service) is one type of new data service that wireless providers are implementing in third generation wireless networks, including IS-2000 networks. The BCMCS is expected to become a very prominent feature for the next release of wireless standards. In a multicast data broadcast, the same data content (e.g., sports scores, weather reports, news, and the like) is transmitted to all (or at least a plurality) of the wireless terminals (or mobile stations) in the coverage area of a wireless network base station. The network operator can control each multicast data transmission with regard to accounting aspects, regions of the network where the multicast data transmissions are available to various users and the encryption of the multicast data transmissions to protect against unauthorized reception.
A user can discover the BCMCS services provided by the serving network in a variety of ways, including receiving the information on the overhead channel (e.g., BSPM—Broadcast Service Parameters Message) from the network. The BSPM overhead message carries the configuration of all of the BCMC services deployed on each frequency in a particular cell, along with the configuration of the BCMC services offered in neighboring cells. With the increase in the number of BCMC services being offered, the BSPM may become a considerably long message. In addition, the current IS-2000 standard requires that the BSPM be transmitted at least every 1.28 seconds. As a result of the length of the message in conjunction with the frequency of transmission, the BSPM has the potential to significantly increase the loading on the paging (overhead) channel.
In addition, when the mobile station initially updates the overhead information, lengthy broadcast service parameters messages may cause a delay of up to five seconds to update the BSPM information. Furthermore, in many cases, the same redundant information is sent on the BSPM every 1.28 seconds, causing unnecessary paging channel loading and unnecessary processing of the same message by the mobile station.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for systems and methods of limiting the paging loading capacity and avoiding the unnecessary processing of the BSPM by mobile stations in a wireless network. In particular, there is a need for a technique to reduce the overhead needed to transmit updated information in the BSPM.